Hudson’s new Alderman is a first

Abdus Satter Miah became the first Bangladeshi to serve on the city of Hudson’s Common Council.

He was appointed to the seat earlier this week at a special session of the city’s governing body. He replaces Quintin Cross, 23, who quit his post after his arrest for misusing city credit cards.

Miah ran for the seat in 2005, endorsed by the Bottom Line Democrats. He lost by 9 votes in the general election.

Miah, 47, was born in Bangladesh and became an American citizen in 1996. He now works for Taconic Farms, a Capital Region company that provides lab rodents to scientific researchers. He’s also the president of the Islamic Center in Hudson.

A press release about Miah also refers to him as an international chess player, and says he’s the former president of the United States Bangladesh Chess Association of North America.

His wife is named Salma, and the couple has two sons.

Miah’s seat on the Common Council expires at the end of this year. But he already said he will run again in November for a four-year term.

Cross, meanwhile, awaits sentencing on July 31. He pleaded guilty to a single count of grand larceny. Under the terms of a plea agreement, prosecutors are recommending six months in jail, five years’ probation and full restitution, an amount that will approach $20,000. He was accused of spending city taxpayer money on plane tickets, bar tabs, cash advances, and even an online dating service.